FAQs – IARC Postdoctoral Fellowships and IARC Mid-Career Visiting Scientist Award

Applications can be submitted by completing our online application form. The call for applications will open approximately every two years. Next call will open in March 2025 (details to be confirmed in due course). 

Check application conditions and eligibility criteria for our last call here. Conditions and eligibility criteria for next call to be confirmed prior to March 2025.

Applications can be made by completing our online application form (next call will open in March 2025 – details to be confirmed in due course).

Check application conditions and eligibility criteria of our last call here. Conditions and eligibility criteria for next call to be confirmed prior to March 2025.

IARC Postdoctoral Fellows and IARC Mid-Career Visiting Scientist Awardees will come to IARC within the framework of the IARC Research Training and Fellowship Programme as Early Career and Visiting Scientists (“ECVSs”). 

ECVSs do not have the status of an IARC/WHO employee nor will the period of training create an employee/employer relationship. From the administrative point of view, ECVSs will retain the status of Early Career and Visiting Scientist within the IARC Research Training and Fellowship Programme, which is subject to the rules and regulations governing trainees, students, postdoctoral scientists and visiting scientists at IARC, as described in the IARC Research Training and Fellowship Programme Handbook – available on the IARC intranet upon arrival.

ECVSs will not be entitled to benefit from the United Nations pension fund, the WHO staff health insurance (SHI) nor from the French social protection system (i.e. unemployment benefit / French state pension, etc.). It is the responsibility of ECVSs to make their own arrangements in this regard should they wish. However, during the hosting period at IARC, insurance for accident and emergency illness, accidental death or partial or total disablement will be provided automatically by the Agency.

ECVSs have a normal workday of 8 hours / 40 hours per week, not including the time taken for lunch break (a minimum of 30 minutes and typically 1 hour).

ECVSs may be named in grant applications submitted by IARC subject to the conditions specified in the IARC Research Training and Fellowship Programme Handbook, but only IARC/WHO staff members can be named principal investigators in grant applications on behalf of IARC. In any case, all grant applications must follow the established IARC internal clearance and approval procedure.

A contract within the IARC Research Training and Fellowship Programme can in principle not be granted to anyone bearing any of the following relationships with an IARC personnel (IARC/WHO employee or ECVS): father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister (by blood or marriage) and needs to be disclosed in the application process.

IARC provides a monthly dependence allowance of 150 euros to each agreed accompanying dependant (spouse/partner/children below 18 years of age) of IARC Postdoctoral Fellows. Condition: they should not have any income and accompany the IARC Postdoctoral Fellow for a minimum of 8/12 of the duration of his/her training contract.

Important: No financial support for health insurance premiums for dependants will be provided by IARC.

No financial support for school fees (please note that public schools are free of cost in France) will be provided by IARC.

IARC can assist by putting the future IARC Postdoctoral Fellows/IARC-Mid-Career Visiting Scientist Awardees in contact with its relocation assistant who can provide help in finding appropriate accommodation.

However, IARC cannot provide housing to ECVSs.

Living costs in Lyon are generally considered slightly cheaper than Paris, but it is still one of the most expensive cities in France to live in.

For a “single” IARC Postdoctoral Fellow/ IARC-Mid-Career Visiting Scientist Awardee with no dependants or with one accompanying dependant, the stipend and dependence allowance is sufficient to cover living costs but will be very tight for more than 1 accompanying dependant.

A studio or apartment (1 to 2 bedrooms) can cost up 1,000 Euros monthly (charges/electricity/gas not included yet). An apartment for a family with two children costs between 1,000-1,500 Euros or even more.

Accommodation prices can be checked here: https://business.onlylyon.com/en/discover-lyon/quality-of-life. In addition to accommodation costs, other associated costs such as estate agent fees, security deposit, utility fees (water/gas/electricity/garbage/internet), home insurance fee (mandatory in France) need to be considered.

More information about Lyon, housing, schools etc. can be found in our IARC Welcome Pack (please note that it is currently under revision and that some information might not be up to date).